Yggdrasil
The World Tree
Yggdrasil was the World Tree at the center of the Norse cosmos, the great yew whose branches held the Nine Realms and bound their fates together. Said to transcend time and space, it shook to its roots when Asgard fell at Ragnarok.
Yggdrasil, the World Tree, also called the Tree of Life and Death, was the great yew at the center of the Norse cosmos, whose branches held the Nine Realms and wove their fates together. It grew out of the Lake of Nine in Midgard, and through its branches one could pass between the worlds by way of the Realm Between Realms. Said to transcend time and space, the tree had no beginning, and it would shake to its roots when Asgard fell at Ragnarok.
The center of the cosmos#
Yggdrasil was a massive yew tree growing out of the Lake of Nine, believed to be the very center of the Norse cosmos. Its branches interconnected the various worlds, the Nine Realms, and the tree and the lake shared not only a great physical presence but an ethereal connection to one another. In the realm travel room of Tyr's Temple, the brim of the well bore a sculptural depiction of all the realms and their connection to the tree that ran between them. On the base of its pedestal stood three owl-like figures, the central one being the Norn Urd, the bluish shape in their talons representing the burning bridge carried by the gods and used to travel between realms.
The tree itself existed in the Realm Between Realms, a space set apart from the worlds it bound together. Within the realms, it offered more than passage. The dew collected from its branches near bodies of water granted lasting vigor to those who drank it, and its crystallized sap was a powerful conductor of energy, exploding when struck with any charge.
Travel along the branches#
By using Mystic Gateways, a traveler could enter the Realm Between Realms and walk along the World Tree's branches to reach other realms far more quickly than by other means. The path was perilous, however, for to stray from a branch was to be killed at once, unless one carried proper protection such as the Unity Stone.
A tree beyond time#
Because Yggdrasil was said to transcend time and space, no origin could be ascribed to it; it simply was, having existed before the realms themselves took shape. When the giants retreated to Jotunheim, they enlisted Tyr to hide the travel tower among one of the tree's roots, preventing any of the Aesir from reaching their home, a tower that Kratos and Atreus would later return.
The tree's most dramatic moment came at Ragnarok. When Thor struck the World Serpent Jormungandr a final, fearsome blow on the field of battle, the impact shook Yggdrasil so violently that it splintered, and the serpent was hurled back through time to an age before its own birth, removed entirely from the war.
A living presence#
Yggdrasil was understood to possess a will of its own. The squirrel Ratatoskr, who lived among its branches, claimed to feel the tree's intentions, describing a form of nonverbal communication, and noted that it had a bitter temperament, growing impatient when Mimir pressed it with too many questions. The tree was also home to a small variety of its own wildlife, plants, insects, and walking mushroom creatures, all sharing the ethereal blue color of Yggdrasil itself.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Yggdrasil in God of War?
- Yggdrasil, the World Tree, also called the Tree of Life and Death, was the great yew at the center of the Norse cosmos. Its branches held the Nine Realms and wove their fates together, and it grew out of the Lake of Nine in Midgard.
- How is Yggdrasil used to travel between realms?
- By using Mystic Gateways, a traveler could enter the Realm Between Realms and walk along the World Tree's branches to reach other realms far more quickly than by other means. The path was perilous, for to stray from a branch was to be killed at once, unless one carried protection such as the Unity Stone.
- Why does Yggdrasil have no origin?
- Yggdrasil was said to transcend time and space, so no origin could be ascribed to it. The tree had no beginning and simply was, having existed before the realms themselves took shape.
- What happened to Yggdrasil at Ragnarok?
- When Thor struck the World Serpent Jormungandr a final, fearsome blow on the field of battle, the impact shook Yggdrasil so violently that it splintered. Jormungandr was hurled back through time to an age before its own birth, removed entirely from the war.
- Did Yggdrasil have a will of its own?
- Yggdrasil was understood to possess a will of its own. The squirrel Ratatoskr, who lived among its branches, claimed to feel the tree's intentions through a form of nonverbal communication and noted that it had a bitter temperament, growing impatient when Mimir pressed it with too many questions.
Sources
- WikiYggdrasil — God of War Wiki entry
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Related entries
Asgard
Asgard was the realm of the Aesir gods, perched in the crown of Yggdrasil and ruled by Odin from the hall of Gladsheim. Behind the great wall of Hrimthur it stood as a fortress against the prophesied doom of Ragnarok, until Kratos breached it and the realm fell.
Jotunheim
Jotunheim was the homeland of the ancient Jotnar, hidden away by Tyr after Odin's genocide drove the giants to the brink of extinction. It became the tomb of their race and the final destination of Kratos and Atreus on their journey to scatter Faye's ashes.
Lake of Nine
The Lake of Nine was the great central lake of Midgard, ringed by the towers of the Nine Realms and crossed by the World Serpent. It served as the hub from which Kratos and Atreus reached the far regions of the realm.
Midgard
Midgard was the realm of mortals, shaped by Odin from the body of the giant Ymir and set between Asgard and Helheim. It was the home Kratos chose after leaving Greece, the land where Atreus was born, and the realm where the great winter of Fimbulwinter fell.
The Nine Realms
The Nine Realms were the worlds of the Norse gods and the countless races who dwelt along the branches of Yggdrasil. From the void of Ginnungagap and the body of Ymir they took shape, and they endured through the fall of Asgard at Ragnarok.
Tyr's Temple
Tyr's Temple was a great structure raised in Midgard as a gateway between the Nine Realms. Built for the Aesir God of War by every people of the realms, it was twisted and sealed by Odin, sunk beneath the Lake of Nine, and at last reopened by Kratos and Atreus.
Mentioned in16 entries
Amulet of Yggdrasil
The Amulet of Yggdrasil was a piece of jewellery Kratos claimed after slaying the dragon Nidhogg. Worn as part of his armour, it held empty settings into which he fitted enchantments gathered from across the Nine Realms.
Asgard
Asgard was the realm of the Aesir gods, perched in the crown of Yggdrasil and ruled by Odin from the hall of Gladsheim. Behind the great wall of Hrimthur it stood as a fortress against the prophesied doom of Ragnarok, until Kratos breached it and the realm fell.
Duraþrór
Duraþrór was one of the four seasonal stags that roamed the Nine Realms, the Stag of Winter known also as the Thriving Slumber. Honored by the Jotnar, his likeness aided Kratos and Atreus on their passage through the mountain of Midgard.
Freya
Freya was the Vanir goddess of love, war, and magic who married Odin to end the Aesir-Vanir War and was cursed to remain in Midgard. Once the Witch of the Woods, she aided Kratos and Atreus, swore vengeance after the death of her son Baldur, and at last turned her wrath on Odin himself.
Huginn and Muninn
Huginn and Muninn were a pair of ravens who served as the personal spies of Odin, flying across the Nine Realms to bring him word of all that passed. Bound to the All-Father's will and granted speech and unnatural speed, the two were among the few creatures Odin truly cherished.
Jormungandr
Jormungandr was the World Serpent, a Jötunn so vast he encircled all of Midgard within the Lake of Nine. Sworn enemy of Thor and fated to clash with him at Ragnarök, he aided Kratos and Atreus and was revealed to be a giant reborn from a serpent and cast backward through time.
Muspelheim
Muspelheim was one of the Nine Realms of the World Tree, the fiery homeland of the Fire Giants and the source of all heat in the realms. From it Ragnarok was prophesied to arise, and from it Kratos sought the aid of Surtr.
Nidhogg
Nidhogg was a primordial Lindwyrm who gnawed and guarded the roots of the World Tree. Made an unwitting pawn by Odin, she was slain by Kratos and Freya, leaving her six orphaned children to scatter across the realms.
Odin
Odin was the King of the Aesir and ruler of the Nine Realms, the All-Father who slew the first giant Ymir to found Asgard. Obsessed with knowledge and terrified of his own prophesied death, he waged war across the realms and orchestrated the events that brought Ragnarok to his doorstep.
Odin's Wedding to Freya
Odin's marriage to Freya was a peace treaty that ended the war between the Aesir and the Vanir. Though it brought a fragile harmony to the realms, the Vanir branded Freya a traitor, and the union ended in her banishment.
Ragnarok
Ragnarok was the prophesied final battle of the Norse world, foreseen to bring the death of the gods and the end of all things. When the armies of the realms rose against Asgard, it ended not as the apocalypse the Aesir feared but as the fall of Odin and the destruction of his realm alone.
Ratatoskr
Ratatoskr was the squirrel who tended the World Tree of Yggdrasil and watched over the Nine Realms. Bound forever to the Tree, he sent spectral aspects of his own personality out in his stead, including the foul-mouthed Bitter Squirrel.
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